About this episode
Adventure racing has always depended on people who love the sport enough to build it. Greg Callas is one of those people.Greg is the new president of Gold Rush Adventure Racing, a nonprofit based in the foothills of the Sierras with a two-decade history on the West Coast. He inherited a legacy, and a responsibility, from the founders who built it, and he's determined to carry both forward.But this episode isn't just about race directing. It's about a guy who found adventure racing the way a lot of us did, by doing something that looked a lot like it before he even knew it existed, and then couldn't stop. From his first race at Mammoth, where his team basically set up a picnic at the transition area, to a strong finish at Raid the Rockies, to lantern rouge honors at Expedition Oregon two years running, and then greater success, Greg has learned the sport the hard way and applied every lesson.In this conversation, we talk about what it takes to grow a community, what a Bay Area sea kayaking club taught him about onboarding new athletes, and why he turned a 24-hour race into a 12-hour race — and why that might have been the right call all along. We also get into the Gold Rush Adventure Challenge, coming September 19th to the Marin Headlands, with a paddle to Angel Island, views of the Golden Gate, and yes — a cannon.The sport grows when people like Greg show up. This one's worth your time.Shownotes:Gold Rush Adventure Racing - https://www.goldrushadventureracing.com/Greg Callas Website - https://www.outdoorgoyo.com/Sponsor Links:Adventure Addicts Racing's Brake The Habit AR - https://www.adventureaddictsracing.com/copy-of-brake-the-habit-1Shenandoah Epic Adventure Race - https://www.adventureenablers.com/Photographer Nic Wynia - https://www.storycityfilms.com/new-gallery-3
